‘Maze Runner’ and ‘Superstar’ score in China

BEIJING: Maze Runner: The Death Cure scored an opening weekend win at the China box office, ahead of the Aamir Khan movie Secret Superstar, which claimed a Sunday victory.

Maze Runner finished the weekend with US$ 22.4 million ( RM87.3 million), compared with US$ 19.0 million for Superstar.

Given a day and date release, Maze Runner was quickly into its stride, with US$ 8.24 million on Friday, according to data from Ent Group.

Superstar brought in takings of US$ 4.85 million on Friday, before rising to US$ 7.78 million on Saturday and a winning US$ 6.55 million on Sunday. After 10 days, Superstar has a cumulative China total of US$ 65.7 million.

While the film is unlikely to come close to last year’s Aamir Khan phenomenon Dangal, which earned over US$ 190 million, the China score for Superstar is now far in excess of the $ 20.3 million it had earned globally, including India, prior to its China outing 10 days ago.

While Maze Runner showed signs of weakening, its opening weekend should propel the film to a franchise best in China. The first Maze Runner earned US$ 24.0 million in October 2014, while The Scorch Trials earned US$ 29.6 million from its November 2015 release.

Third in China over the weekend was Forever Young, with US$11.8 million. After 17 days, its cumulative total is US$ 95.8 million (RM373.6 million).

Ferdinand enjoyed a weekend trajectory typical of a children’s animation, with a slow Friday and a jump on Saturday as parents take their offspring to cinemas. It managed US$ 5.11 million for a weekend fourth position and a cumulative of US$ 18.5 million after 10 days on release.

Sixth place belonged to a Chinese animation, Boonie Bears: The Big Shrink which does not get its full release until Feb 16 and Lunar New Year. It earned US$ 2.35 million from previews on Saturday and Sunday.

Blockbuster Chinese comedy, Ex-Files: The Return of the Exes refuses to go away. It earned US$1.83 million, extending its total past the US$ 300 million mark to US$ 303 million (RM1.18 billion).

Zhang Ziyi (centre) and fellow cast members Huang Xiaoming, Leehom Wang, Chang Chen and Chen Chusheng during a press conference in Beijing to promote ‘Forever Young’.